Doshomi to set stage for advent of Goddess

Kolkata: Bringing in the puja fervour four months before Bengal`s biggest festival, debutante director Suman Maitra`s film `Doshomi` is set to be released next month with `Kahaani` actor Indraneil Sengupta and Tolly star Koel Mallick paired for the first time.

"The film, a total family entertainer revolving round the five days of the festivities in the backdrop of north Kolkata, will mark the pre-puja phase in July and thus stretch the days a little ahead," Maitra said as the first clips of the film were unveiled at the popular 23 pally community Durgapuja mandap in the southern parts yesterday.

With the traditional `dhak` beat reaching crescendo as the lead pair posed before the permanent idol of the goddess at the puja `mandap`, Indraneil gushed how he perfected steps of the `dhunuchi` dance before the goddess for the first time in his life.

"I had heard a lot about `dhunuchi` dance, which Bengali won`t have! I had seen images of the dance earlier, but this was for the first time I did it before the idol, on camera, and it was an ecstatic,never-before experience," the Autograph-actor recalled.

Affirming he had not soaked into Kolkata`s Durga Puja flavour earlier. Indraneil, however, said "I had seen Durga Puja celebrations in Mumbai but going by the experience of shooting in a make-believe Durga Puja set in a park in Baghbazar, I wish to be here during the real puja time to witness the frenzy."

"But offcourse the real puja will be preceded by the celluloid Durga Puja in the city of Maa this year, I am sure," he said.

For Koel, looking forward to the Durga Puja days at their Bhawanipore ancestral house every year and used to giving bites about the whole experience to countless media houses during those time unfailingly, this was a `puja` with a difference.

"Firstly it was celluloid Durga puja which went on for 16 days before a pandal set up instead of the five days, and secondly while at the puja in home we had to strictly follow the rituals, getting up at 4 30 am for instance with very little scope to be carefree, here it was like celebrating puja in a bindaas mood, in sync with the bubbly natureof my character, the US-returned girl," Koel said,

Turning effusive about her co-star Indraneil, she said "also this was my first film with Indraneil but the comfort level was very high and it perhaps showed in the dance numbers. And the character was so unlike me, of a tomboyish brat nature."

Recalling they were enamoured by Suman?s storyline, Namit Bajoria of Cine nine Productions said "we belong to this place. We know Durga Puja is embedded with the psyche of the people here, in the city and in Bengal and Doshomi perfectly encapsulates that mood, that very spirit."

Cinenine, which would like to churn out more such quality products in future, wanted to release the film in July since the city is gripped by festivities from September and the film could be a precursor to that mood, he said.

Popular actor Locket Chatterjee, who had also turned up in films like kayekti meyer galpo and balukabela.com, would rate her shooting experience in Doshomi as the most exiciting phase of her career in recent times "where we seemed to be on a picnic for days."

"I had also sung for the first time in a film along with other members of the cast for a hilarious number Elokesi..We greatly enjoyed the experience," Indraneil said.